How to Keep Spiders as Pets

By Wade Harrell

Spiders can make fascinating pets. Here are a few steps to get you started keeping spiders.

Step 1: Catch a spider

Spiders are all around us, indoors and out, so they’re not hard to find. Some species can bite and a few are venomous. Learn about dangerous spiders in your area before heading out. It’s easy to safely catch a spider by using a small jar. Gently coax it into the jar using the lid. Spiders will eat each other, so keep only one per jar.

Step 2: Prepare a cage

Large spiders do well in the inexpensive plastic terrariums available from pet stores. Smaller ones can be kept in jars or plastic containers if air holes are drilled into the lid or sides. Be sure the holes are small enough to prevent escape.

Step 3: Water

Depending on the size of the spider, anything from a plastic bottle cap to a small bowl can serve as a water dish. Spiders also drink water sprayed on webbing, but you should never allow the cage to become damp.

Step 4: Feeding

Offer insect prey once or twice a week. Crickets are available from pet shops, or you can collect insects outdoors if no insecticides have been sprayed in the area.

Step 5: Observing

Watch your spider and take notes on its behavior. You won’t believe what happens in the spider’s web until you’ve visited it yourself!

PREFERRED PETS

Not all spiders do well in captivity. Active hunters are usually easier to keep than web builders. Here are a few that make good pets.

Tarantulas: Some species exceed 10 inches in legspan. They’re by far the most popular pet spiders and can be bought in pet stores.

Wolf Spiders: Some can be more than three inches in legspan. Large specimens do best in terrariums with lots of floor space.

Jumping Spiders: Although small and rarely exceeding half an inch, their jumping ability is amazing. Many species are brightly colored and can easily be kept in jars.

Fishing Spiders: In captivity, these large spiders appreciate vertically arranged pieces of bark for climbing. They’re very fast, so use caution when capturing them.

Grass Spiders: These spiders build funnel-shaped webs in grass, bushes and on buildings. In captivity, they will build extensive webs inside their cage.

Tree spiders (spiders that climb) can live in a tall jar with sticks. Ground spiders can live in a critter keeper with dirt. They would both like mealworms. For water a bottle cap will do. You can add bark, twigs,or any other places to hide or decorations

I have a spider that looks like a jumping spider but it doesn’t jump. Even if it’s not a jumping spider, I still don’t know what to feed it. It’s in the middle of winter and I don’t know where to find small bug. And ants are too big, so I’m worried the ant will eat it! 😓 What do I do? Is there some kind of spider food at a store?

Jumping spiders probably shouldn’t be kept in jars- unless you’re going to be taking them out and playing with them every day. If you prefer to keep your jumper as a display spider I recommend getting a larger plastic cage for it to run around in. If jumping spiders don’t get enough exercise, they can die!

All i can say is yuck. My skin crawled just from reading it. I just hoped that if i learned more about them maybe they wouldn’t creep me out as much. Nope still horrified and just have to put up with being mortified by my hebejeebees.

Just caught a wolf spider and i have it living in a plastic container it has being acting strange waiting and when i open the lib goes crazy and when i try to add tgings to its plastic cage it stays away from what ever i put in the cage what should i do

ok so my dog attacked a little house spider it lost 1 leg fell in water went into what i can only call a coma woke up made it a nest put it in very lively then suddly just went into a ball its legs are still moving. what should i do i consider letting it go but it wont come out the nest i dont want to pick it up as it may get more fragile

any spider likes to eat insects like little flies they like dark places and to be left alone most of the time if you are keeping your spider inside you should make the home look like outside to make it feel safe. they drink water or blood from other insects. if you keep your spider in a tin or pastic box make sure there are holes but not to big because they might escape !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why would you want to catch a spider? These spiders come from the wild. How would you like it if someone removed you from your home and trapped you in a jar? If you want a spider that badly, buy one. That way, you know you won’t be causing the spider any stress.

I have a jumping spider named Blackie. He lived in my house for several months before I captured him and made a habitat for him.I was afraid if I let him continue roaming the house someone would surly step on him. I have enjoyed the little rascal. He loves baby crickets and moths. He shed his skin once and has made a large resting sac. He spent 14 days in his resting sac and I worried about him but he is okay.he was shedding his skin.

They like dark damp places. If you have an outside shed you probably have one or two under something in there. Under washer machines, or any appliance that hasn’t been moved for a while is a good place to look too.

You can either buy one or if you live around the u.s. North area go in the deep forest and you could find one. They are not harmless unless you pinch a leg or mess with it. I hope this information helps you. Be safe.

There is a tiny brown spider living on my light in my room and has made a web accross it. What shall i keep it in as i dont want it to live there. What shall i feed it and what is its natural habitat? Also what type of spider is it? It is around the size of my big toes nail (including legs) and is brown.
I really want to keep it as a pet!!!;):-):-D:-P

well you can keep them in two separate containers because if you keep them both in one container they will eat each other. Put some mud in the containers, make sure the containers have holes in them.put some twigs, grass and dead leaves. Make sure they have a little bit of water and feed them small insects like aphids or small bugs like aphids 2 times a week. Don’t kill the bugs just put them in and let the spider kill the bugs.

To who ever has a black widow it is never a good idea to have one of them asa pet if you ever get bitten you should always get medical help because it is only a matter of time before you fall over and die

I have a big rain spider that came into my room. She is in a glass cage with soil and leaves. She built a nest and two days ago her babies emerged. What can I give them to eat and also, will she lbe likely to eat them?

You may keep a spider as a pet and speaking from experience with many captive spiders a small spider can eat large things such as a jumping spider will eat crickets just make sure its in there diet . I mean I have made the mistake of feeding jumpy( my jumping spider) a worm not knowing jumpy needs to hunt in order to eat.

I have an extremely large pet wolf spider. She is amazing to watch and to see her eat. She built a network of webs in her habitat, which is a plastic container about a foot long and 8 inches wide. I have had her for almost 7 months now and she has shed several times. The exoskeleton is pretty awesome. I would love to get a Mexican Red Knee tarantula but my mother would kill it, me, or both if I brought one home.

we bought a pink toe tarantula for my sons birthday gift, she is very beautiful. We live in Nebraska in the north part and I was wondering how to keep her warm . What would be the best way . Thanks for any advice you can give me. Sincerely Pinktoes

pinktoes, you can buy heat mats that you place under terrariums and viv’s. You plug them into the wall and set the temperature to what ever the animal being kept prefers, and place the mat directly under the terrarium or viv. They’re not too expensive neither, should be able to find them in a good pet or reptile store. Hope this helps 🙂

Yes it is okay to keep small spiders in a medium cage but be sure not to keep it in a big cage or it won`t be able to find its food and a black widow just in case wear thick gloves when you feed it because it has a venomous bite